Preparing for a hospital stay

If your hospital stay is planned, you should receive an admission letter containing information such as:

• the time and date of your appointment
• where to go on the day
• whether you can eat or drink before your appointment
• the name of the consultant-led team in charge of your care
• contact details of the relevant hospital department or ward.

Make sure you read and understand the letter. 

As well as thinking about what you want to take with you for your stay in hospital, you should also think about arrangements you may need to make while you are in hospital. Here are some things you may need to think about:

• make sure your home is safe – turn off electrical appliances, turn off water at the mains and turn your central heating down or off
• secure your property – check that windows and doors are locked
• valuables and keys should be placed with people you trust like family, carers or close neighbours
• arrange for someone you trust to look after your property such as collecting your mail , watering your plants and feeding your pets
• cancel any deliveries such as milk or newspapers
• if you have a pet, arrange for them to be looked after by someone close to you or arrange for them to be placed in kennels or catteries
• contact your gas/electricity/water/credit card company if you have any outstanding bills - if you pay regular direct debit your bills should be paid automatically (as long as there’s money in your account) 

To make your stay as comfortable as possible, you should think about what you need while you are in hospital.

In an emergency, call 999 and ask for an Ambulance. You will not need to pay to be taken to hospital in an emergency.

In non-emergency hospital visits, you'll normally be expected to make your own way to the hospital. If you can, make your own way or ask a family member or friend to take you.

If you cannot use public transport, consider reaching out to a wheelchair-accessible taxi service or a voluntary organisation that offers transport for hospital appointments. Your GP surgery might have a list of local hospital transport schemes available.

You may be able to claim for the cost of transport to hospital through the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) if you're referred for specialist NHS treatment or tests. 

The NHS website has guidance on how to organise transport to and from hospital. 

Royal Mail's KeepSafe services

The Royal Mail’s KeepSafe service will hold your mail for up to two months and deliver it to your home when you are out of hospital.

Contact Royal Mail by phone: 03457 777 888
Apply online

The Cinnamon Trust

The Cinnamon Trust is a national charity that can look after your pet while you are in hospital if you are 60 or over or are in the later stages of a terminal illness (Palliative Care).

This service is free but is limited as the service is dependent on the availability and location of volunteers.

Alternatively, you can contact them on 01736 757 900.

Visit The Cinnamon Trust website

NHS

The NHS website has good information about how to prepare for an operation, including what to pack in your hospital bag. 

Having an operation (surgery) - Before surgery - NHS